Milk Kefir Growing Instructions

What You Get in the Mail

When you order live milk kefir grains from Poseymom, you’ll receive 1/4 cup of active grains, double bagged, heat sealed, and shipped in a box.

It’s best to open and start growing your kefir right away. You can put the double-bagged grains in the fridge for up to 7 days for guaranteed freshness. The earlier you get started, the better.

What you’ll Need:

1 teaspoon of Milk Kefir Grains (in the bag)

12-16oz of milk (any variety is fine…1%, 2% or whole…? Your choice)

One pint size glass jar

One coffee filter or paper towel

One mason jar ring or rubber band

One plastic mesh strainer (No metal!)

the grains need time to adjust to change in milk… change milk out every 12 hrs. and keep in a slightly warm place ..if you have problems please contact me and am always glad to help and PLEASE instead of neg feedback let me work with you on problems . contact me on the forum where you bought from… Thank you

Your First Batch

Add the milk to your jar. Gently add the full contents of the bag to the milk (both the kefir grains and the starter liquid. Stif gently with a wooden or plastic spoon. (No metal!)

Then cover the jar with the coffee filter or paper towel. Use the mason jar ring or rubber band to secure the filter/towel in place.

Let this sit out on your counter for about 12 hours.

Longer fermenting gives you a more tangy taste. You will notice the milk will get clumpy and will rise to the top…leaving the “whey” at the bottom of the jar. Thats OK!!! Just stir your grains/milk gently before you strain out your grains. You will use a plastic mesh strainer (metal is not recommended by most growers)

To strain simply hold your strainer over a bowl and pour out your fermented milk. Then gently shake and jiggle the strainer. The fermented milk will separate from the grains…the runnier stuff first, then the thicker, creamier milk last.

And that’s it! You’ll have your first batch of milk kefir to drink and enjoy. Some drink it warm, while others prefer to chill it in the fridge first. You can also add the kefir to your milkshakes and smoothies!

Making New Batches

The kefir may not ferment the milk as desired in the first 12 hours. That’s okay. Sometimes, the grains need time to adjust to their new conditions. Just change out the milk for a new batch. Repeat the above process with each new batch.

Simply take your “grains” and add them again to another jar of milk and ferment another batch. There is no need to rinse your grains between batches.

When you grains have “reawakened” and are fermenting at full speed…you can get a new batch of milk kefir every 12 hours.

Taking Breaks

Making milk kefir, batch after batch, can be tiring. Water kefir and kombucha have much longer fermentation periods, and so they are lower maintenance. You may want to take a break between milk kefir batches.

If you do decide to take a break from fermenting, just put your grains in a small jar and cover them with milk (about ½ cup) and keep them in the fridge. They will stay dormant for several weeks without changing the milk.

Your grains will grow and reproduce over time, but the process is very slow and unrecognizable for most…especially during the winter months. After some months you may have enough excess grains to share with a friend or start multiple jars simultaneously.

Special Note: If your family enjoys the texture of yogurt…you can drape a sterilized cloth over a spaghetti strainer. But the strainer into another larger bowl. Pour your fermented milk into the cloth (a piece of old sheet is great…lint free! Or purchase a piece of cotton muslin or cheese cloth) Let this sit out for about 8 hrs…all the “whey” will drain out into bowl and you will have a nice thick, creamy probiotic rich “yogurt”. Just scrape it off the cloth and store in the fridge.